Here, Lu Chengxiao and a few others preliminarily discussed matters. On the other side, Liu Yu had already led the woman out of the tailoring room and headed towards the opposite Lufeng Cloth Store.
“What are they going to do?” Originally, this woman said she used to be the exclusive tailor for a wealthy family in Yuanzhou. However, she offended the steward and was dismissed. Seeing the newly opened Ruyi Embroidery House was recruiting, she came to take a look.
Inside the house, Liu Yu had already asked her to take measurements for him. Now he was leading her to the cloth store opposite. Liu Yu didn’t say much else. She could choose the fabrics in the store freely. After buying them, Liu Yu settled the bill with Lu Chengzong. He then asked the woman to make a set of clothes for herself, which was Liu Yu’s way of testing her.
It wasn’t just a test of her cutting and sewing skills but also of her taste in fabrics.
The woman was not timid. She glanced at Liu Yu and then set her sights on the various fabrics in Lu Feng Cloth Store. She didn’t pick the inferior ones, nor did she choose the most expensive. Instead, she selected several pieces of medium-priced fabrics and asked the shop assistant for them. She was clear and precise about how much of each she needed, showing great familiarity with the process. Liu Yu watched quietly beside her, already somewhat impressed.
After the woman finished buying the fabrics, Liu Yu went to settle the bill with Lu Chengzong. Lu Chengzong waved his hand and said, “I’ll keep a record for you. We’ll settle the bill after the cloth is used in a couple of days.”
“Alright, thank you, Brother Lu,” she said. Since they weren’t married yet, she didn’t dare to speak as boldly as Lu Chengxiao.
Lu Chengzong smiled, “No trouble at all. Feel free to come whenever you need fabric.”
After some thought, he asked, “Has Chengxiao come over?”
Liu Yu nodded, “He saw the shop’s sign and went to take a look. Right now, he’s discussing buying cloth with my second and third brothers. He’ll probably come over in a while.”
Lu Chengzong hurriedly waved his hand, “No rush. There’s nothing urgent here. I just heard that Yanan said she saw him, so I thought I’d ask.”
He was very perceptive. Since his younger brother rarely had time to come to the county, he must be interested in seeing his wife.
Liu Yu smiled and thanked Lu Chengzong before taking the woman back to the embroidery house.
The woman’s surname was Zhang, originally from Anyi County. Naturally, she knew about Lufeng. Now that she saw the owner of Ruyi Embroidery House seemed to have a good relationship with Lu Feng, she made a mental note of it and became even more serious about this job.
Without needing Liu Yu to say much, she returned to the embroidery house and said to Liu Yu, “Master, you go ahead with your tasks. It will take me a day or two to finish these clothes. I’ll be in the back cutting room. You don’t need to worry about me. Just come see the finished product tomorrow evening.”
Liu Yu liked her efficiency. “Alright then, feel free to use any tools and materials in the house.”
After handling things here, she finally had time to return to the flower hall. They had already been engaged, and even the wedding date was set. Knowing they were capable, Liu Yanping and Liu Yanan said they were going outside to check on the progress of the carpenters, leaving the flower hall to Liu Yu and Lu Chengxiao.
Lu Chengxiao was delighted and wanted to talk about the past half-month of longing. But when Liu Yu sat down beside him, she stared at him from across a small table, tilting her head slightly, not saying a word but just staring at him.
Her gaze was obviously suspicious, the kind that questioned if he was hiding something.
Being scrutinized like this by Liu Yu was a first for Lu Chengxiao. He couldn’t help but feel uneasy. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Liu Yu met his gaze and said, “I’m trying to figure out what you’re hiding from me.”
Lu Chengxiao’s heart skipped a beat. He understood now. He hadn’t fooled her at all from the beginning. He tried to keep his composure on the surface but quickly started thinking. Liu Yu pursed her lips lightly, looking somewhat hurt. “I thought you wouldn’t lie to me.”
This statement was deeply disappointing, and she even lowered her eyelashes, not looking at Lu Chengxiao.
Lu Chengxiao panicked a bit. “No, Yu’er, I didn’t mean to lie to you. I just didn’t want you to worry.”
Lu Chengxiao knew that Liu Yu wouldn’t really be angry over such a small matter, but even if it was fake, he still couldn’t bear it. He knew she was testing him and could only honestly confess.
Liu Yu raised an eyebrow. “So, you did hide something from me. Let me guess, when you went out last time, did you encounter river bandits?”
Since she had opened this topic, she wouldn’t stop there. Continuing to hide it would only make her more worried. Lu Chengxiao quietly told her about the incident with Cao Jinnian, trying to downplay it to avoid worrying her.
Despite this, Liu Yu still felt a pang of anxiety. Her hands, which had been loosely clasped together, clenched tightly.
Seeing this, Lu Chengxiao couldn’t sit still either. He stood up and crouched beside Liu Yu, gently holding her tightly clenched hands to soothe her and slowly loosened them, holding them in his own hands. “Yu’er, I understand. We’ll be very careful when we go out. Apart from the six of us, I’ll spend extra money to hire six skilled guards from the escort agency. Our small merchant ship doesn’t carry valuable goods, so the river bandits won’t target us. Besides, they value their lives too.”
Liu Yu bit her lip. “Your lives are more precious than theirs.”
Lu Chengxiao chuckled softly, “Yes, yes, so I’d rather spend more silver, earn less profit, and prioritize safety. I’m going to marry you. We’ll be together for the long haul. Rest assured, I cherish life more than anyone else. I won’t be content unless we live to be ninety-nine together.”
Liu Yu was amused by his words, but she quickly composed herself and said, “I know you and my second and third brothers have ambitions. I won’t say anything about not letting you go out because of the danger. However, there are many methods in business, and we shouldn’t focus solely on this.”
Every word she spoke was reasonable and gentle, and Lu Chengxiao’s smile grew broader with each sentence. His heart was thoroughly warmed, softening beyond recognition.
Seeing him constantly smiling made Liu Yu a little annoyed. She moved her hand slightly, held in his, and said, “But are you actually listening to me?”
Even with this slightly teasing remark, her voice was incredibly gentle, which truly touched Lu Chengxiao. He really wanted to pull her into his arms and comfort her to dispel the slight numbness in his heart. However, he knew it wasn’t the right time. He restrained his emotions and said, “I am listening, and I’m remembering every word. Yu’er, rest assured, I have plans. Trading has its risks, but in terms of accumulating capital in the early stages, it’s the fastest way. The money we earn will gradually be invested elsewhere in the future. There won’t be just this one path; our road will widen.”
Moreover, he couldn’t bear to spend half a year apart from Liu Yu every year. Slowly working towards it, he was sure to find a way. Once the business grew substantially, he wouldn’t need to personally travel like this anymore. Of course, this would take time.
Liu Yu felt reassured knowing that he had everything planned out. At this moment, she realized their posture wasn’t appropriate. She was sitting in a circle chair while Lu Chengxiao was half-crouched in front of her, looking up at her. Although his hands were only holding hers and there was nothing improper, Liu Yu’s cheeks flushed suddenly. The places on her body that were touched by him tingled, making her feel flustered.
Feeling uncomfortable, she hesitated to move but didn’t dare. She withdrew her hand from Lu Chengxiao’s and said, “Please sit back. This doesn’t look appropriate.”
Little did she know, her soft voice, coupled with her flushed cheeks, made her appearance even more enchanting to Lu Chengxiao. How could he resist such a sight?
Lu Chengxiao’s throat tightened. His hands were now empty. He decided to hold onto the handles of the circle chair on both sides and stood up slightly. He bent down to meet Liu Yu’s eyes, almost enclosing her between the circle chair and his arms.
They were too close, yet he wanted to get closer.
Caught in his aura, Liu Yu tried to lean back, but the circle chair was small, and Lu Chengxiao was bending forward. She ended up against the backrest, unable to retreat any further. Her breathing became rapid, and her visibly rising and falling chest was a clear indication of her anxiety.
Lu Chengxiao noticed all of this and, feeling awkward, averted his gaze. He straightened his posture as if the earlier movement was just part of standing up. Trying to appear nonchalant, he casually picked up the cold tea from the table and gulped it down in one go.
Liu Yu’s face was now burning hot. This was the lounge behind the shop. There were five embroiderers in the embroidery house and Mrs. Zhang in the cutting room. His second and third brothers and their aunt could return at any moment. She didn’t dare to be alone with Lu Chengxiao anymore.
After calming down for a while and feeling her throat loosen, she said, “You should go back to the cloth store. It’s not good to stay here for too long.”
This remark made Lu Chengxiao feel a bit disappointed. They hadn’t seen each other for half a month, and he wanted nothing more than to be close to her all the time. However, he understood that what he had just thought was inappropriate. This was, after all, the shop, a place where people came and went. He couldn’t stay any longer and had to say, “I’ll go back first. I’ll come see you later.”
Later meant evening, which meant coming over later in the night. How could that be better?
Although she wanted to see him and was willing to stay with Lu Chengxiao, she also knew it wouldn’t be right to be too intimate.
Liu Yu’s face grew even hotter, unsure of what to say next. She then thought about the shelves that needed assembling tonight. She would probably be in the front of the shop before sleeping, with the whole family there, so it wouldn’t be a problem. She nodded slightly.
Lu Chengxiao felt joy in his heart but also some reluctance as he left the lounge.
As soon as he left, Liu Yu placed her right hand on her chest. Sure enough, her heart was racing madly. She touched her face with both hands; it was hot all over, with no trace of coolness.
She stood up and poured herself a cup of cold tea from the teapot, sipping it slowly. Gradually, the heat in her face subsided.
Meanwhile, Lu Chengxiao walked outside, already planning another matter in his mind. He needed to buy a house in the county. After Liu Yu started running this embroidery shop, they wouldn’t be able to go back to Changfeng Town every day after getting married. Living in the embroidery shop wasn’t feasible either. As for the residence behind Lufeng Cloth Store, there were rooms available, but Lu Chengxiao didn’t want Liu Yu to live there.
Reflecting on their recent situation and the various concerns before marriage, he realized that after marriage, they needed to be careful even if they wanted to get closer. Liu Yu was sensitive, and she needed her own place.
With this decision made, he felt it was inevitable to buy a house sooner rather than later.
Now that he had something to do, he needed to find someone reliable to inquire about the houses available in the county and their prices. Considering his current funds—four hundred taels—and the potential profits from this trading trip—about three hundred and fifty taels from the silk fabrics if all went well, plus another two to three hundred taels on the return trip, he would have nearly a thousand taels in hand. This would be more than enough to buy a decent house. He resolved to buy a good one when the time came.
He also thought about asking Liu Yu what kind of house she liked. Perhaps he should just take her along to choose one.
Thinking about their future home together after marriage filled his heart with tenderness and excitement. The prospect of their life together brought a rush of emotions—affection and determination intertwined, forming an inexhaustible resolve.
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Please look forward to my new novel translation to replace HCB. It will be posted tomorrow, June 18, 2024 along with the final Extra of He Confessed in the Backlight. It’s called “BITE MARKS” “The Madman and The Doll.”
Summary:
1.
Qin Lou was like a madman from a young age, feared by everyone. Only one person wasn’t afraid and helped him lock away the demons in his heart. Later, the girl became Qin Lou’s first love. And then, the girl died. Qin Lou went even more mad, becoming uncontrollable.
Until a woman who bore a striking resemblance to his first love appeared.
2.
Ever since Qin Qing became Qin Lou’s assistant, she had to endure daily mockery besides her work:
“President Qin only sees you as a stand-in.”
“You have no idea how much Qin Lou loved Song Shu. Compared to Song Shu, you’re nothing!”
“Being someone’s stand-in, how pitiful you are.”
Qin Qing cooperated well, always lowering her eyes, looking as if she was about to cry.
“It’s okay, I’m willing to endure it. Even if he only loves my face.”
Thus, rumors spread in the venture capital industry, saying that Qin Lou’s assistant was a pitiful stand-in who accompanied him for drinks, chats, and warmth in bed. This finally reached Qin Lou’s ears.
At the Vio annual meeting, in front of everyone, the utterly fed-up Qin Lou pulled Qin Qing into his arms—
“Song Shu, after faking your death for so long, how many more years do you plan to toy with me?”
Everyone: …Who??
Tips:
Youth chapter: Madman & Doll, two kids with problematic families, mutual salvation.
Return chapter: [Venture capital workplace background] Fake death, exoneration, and revenge storyline (In short, “After faking my death and returning, I became my own stand-in, juggling my career, exoneration, and acting skills while outsmarting my mad ex-boyfriend (not really).”)
Tags: Love Story, Two-way healing, Revenge, Drama, Childhood sweetheart